Shelf unit support



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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,186,668 SHELF UNIT SUPPORT Thomas Story, Aloha, Greg, assignor to S. Birhenwald Company, Portland, 0reg., a corporation of Oregon Filed Jan. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 249,268 7 Claims. (Cl. 248-153) This invention relates to a new and novel shelf unit support, and more particularly is concerned with structure adapted to support and maintain in upright position shelf supporting frame-work or the like.

An important objective of the present invention is to provide a shelf unit support having component parts which are adapted for positive interconnection without the use of welded joints or fasteners whereby the support is capable of rapid assembly or disassembly and also eliminates the possibility of workmen forgetting to install fastening elements.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a shelf unit support which bears the weight of the shelf unit to which it is attached and in bearing such weight is urged and maintained in a locked position.

A more specific object is to provide a shelf unit support employing in combination an upright apertured standard and a pair of cross bases which have a tab connection held in assembled relation through the medium of a spring distortion of the parts and the weight of the unit.

Briefly stated, the shelf unit support of the present invention utilizes in combination a pair of cross bases and an upright hollow standard. The standard is apertured and the cross bases have tabs for reception in the apertures. More particularly there is employed a novel arrangement of said apertures and said tabs wherein the tabs are arranged for insertion in the apertures in a manner whereby the cross bases are securely locked in place without the use of fastening elements.

The invention will be better unclerstood and additional objects thereof will become more apparent from the accompanying specification and claims considered together with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a shelf unit in which the present support is incorporated;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the present support, the standard being shown in section to illustrate the tabular engagement of the cross bases therewith;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of one tab of the cross bases and showing the manner of insertion in the apertured standard;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 44- of FIG. 2 and showing step in the insertion of a cross base in the standard;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 and showing a cross base in a fully assembled, locked position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the cross base showing the disposition of one of the tabs; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the present shelf unit support comprises two principal components one of which is an upright standard 10 and the other of which is cross base means consisting of a pair of members 12 and 14. This support assembly, with reference to FIG. 1, is utilized for supporting shelves S which are releasably attached to the standards 10 through the medium of tabs engageable in apertures in said standards.

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The standard 1% is tubular in construction, preferably rectangular, and has a pair of spacedapertures 16 and 18 on each of the front and rear sides thereof.

Reference is made to FIGS. 4 and 5 for illustrating the particular shape of the apertures 16 and 18. Each ofapertures 16 has side walls 20 and 22, the former being parallel with the wall structure of the standard and the latter being angled outwardly in an upper direction. Apertures 16 have a lower extension 24 defined partly by the angled wall 22 and by a wall 26 parallel with but inset from the wall Zil, thus forming a lateral notch or extension 28 of the aperture 16.

The lower apertures 18 are of uniform width throughout their length but are ofiset laterally from their re spective apertures 16 in the direction in which notch 28 extends from aperture 16.

Each of the cross bases 12 and 14 has an upper tab 34 and a lower tab 32 adapted for engagement in apertures 16 and 18, respectively. The upper tabs have an upper edge notch 34, and the portion disposed outwardly from said notch at the upper end of the tabs and desig nated by the numeral 36, FIGURES 4 and 5, is angled transversely. As will be apparent hereafter, such angled portion comprises a locking projection.

The vertical distance between the bottom of notch 34 and the bottom of the tab 36 is slightly less than the dimension of the aperture 16 defined by its upper wall and the bottom of notch 28 whereby such portion of tab 3% is adapted to be received in said latter notch.

The lower tabs 32 have an upwardly directed notch 38 aligned endwise of the cross base with the notch 34, and with reference to FIG. 3 this notch is defined by a rearwardly inclined wall portion 40, oppositely disposed wall portions 42, and a rearwardly inclined inner wall portion 44 parallel to the wall portion 44), the wall portions 42 being spaced sufficiently to receive a wall portion of the standard therebetween.

Each of tabs '32 is angled relative to its cross base, and to accomplish this angled relation the cross base has a crimped or twisted portion 43 adjacent the tab 32. Since the crimp or twist 48 is in the body portion of the cross base and not in the tab 32 the latter maintains a straight configuration, FIG. 7, but angled relative to the cross base.

Cross bases 12 and 14 have a bottom right angled flange 59, and threadedly supported in such flanges by means of threaded bosses 51 integral with the flanges are vertically adjustable feet 52. As apparent from FIG. 2, the standard 10 terminates above the bottom of the cross bases and therefore the weight of the shelf unit is borne by the cross bases.

For the purpose of illustrating assembly of the cross bases with the standard, reference is made to FIGS. 2-5, FIG. 4 showing a partially assembled position of cross base 12 and FIG. 5 showing a fully assembled position of cross base 14, the cross bases 12 and 14 being of identical structure and having a similar manner of assembly. It is to be understood that a shelf unit may employ only a single one of the cross bases 12 or 14 such as, when the unit is disposed against a wall.

In the first step of assembly, the cross base is angled downwardly and the end of tab 32 projected into aperture 18 a slight amount. This is best done by rotating the base downwardly to the position of FIG. 3 wherein a portion of the tab 32- will readily project into the aperture 18. The angled wall portion 4% of the notch 33 permits such downward inclination and close association in this initial step of assembly.

Since the wall portion 44 of the notch 33 is parallel to the wall portion 4-0, the base then can be moved downwardly relative to the standard to movethe wall of the latter fully into the notch 38. Thereupon, the

right angles to the standard.

Since the apertures 16 and 18 are offset vertically however, and since the tab 32 is angled by the crimp portion 48, the base must be tilted laterally to align said tab with its aperture 18 whereby the base after being rotated to its right angle position just mentioned must be pulled over at its top for the reception of tab 35 in the aperture 16. The parts are arranged such that the spring action of the angled tab 32 urges the upper portion of the cross base toward the side wall 2%. The left hand position of the base shown in FIG- 4 in phantom lines comprises a position of the latter just before being.

sprung against the action of tab 32 for insertion of tab 30 in the aperture 16, and the right hand position in this same figure shows the position that the base takes after it has been forced transversely and the tab 35) inserted in aperture 16. Inthi latter position it will be noted that aperture 16 is of a width sufi'lcient to receive the tab 30 including the angled upper'end 36. I

When the base is rotated fully inwardly to a right angle position with the standard, the notch 34 is aligned with an upper wall portion of the standard, and there-. upon the base is moved upwardly to engage such upper wall portion of the standard in the notch 34. Such position is shown by the cross base 14 in FIG. 2. In this position, the upper tab 36 snaps laterally into the notched portion 20 of aperture 16 under the spring action of tab 32 with the outer angled portion 36 of tab 39 being disposed out of the plane of the aperture and thus locking the base against vertical rotative movement relative to the standard. FIG. 5 illustrates the fully assembled position of a base, the locked position of which is main ployed which of course reduces assembly or disassembly time, and furthermore has the advantage that there is no possibility of workmen forgetting to install certain fasteners which may result in a collapse of the shelf unit.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A shelf unit support comprising an upright standard having an upper aperture and a lower aperture, said upper aperture having a transversely disposed notched extension, across base having upper and lower tabs selectively spaced for removable insertion in said apertures, said lower tab being angled relative 'to said cross base whereby said lower tab is adapted to bias said upper tab into said transversely disposed extension, and lock means on one of said tabs engageable with said standard, the lower extremity of said cross base being lower than the lower extremity of said standard whereby the weight I of the unit is borne by said cross base to maintain the lock means in locked relation with said standard.

2. The shelf unit of claim 1 wherein said lock means is on the upper tab.

3. A shelf unit support comprising an upright standard 4 having an upper aperture and a lower aperture, said upper aperture having a transversely disposed notched locking extension, a cross base having upper and lower tabs selectively spaced for removable insertion in said apertures, said lower tab being angled relative to said cross base whereby said lower tab is adapted to bias the cross base in 'a direction such as to position said. upper tab in said transversely disposed extension, and lock means on one of said tabs engageable with said standard.

4. The shelf unit support of claim 3 wherein said lock means comprises an angled extension on said upper tab adapted to project laterally of the plane of the upper aperture for establishing a locked relation with the standard.

5. A shelf unit support comprising an upright standard having a pair of vertically spaced apertures, a cross base having a pair of tabs selectively spaced for removable insertion in said apertures, an angled extension on one of said tabs adapted to project laterally of the plane of an associated aperture for establishing a locked connection between the cross base and the standard, the said other tab being angled relative to said cross base whereby said latter tab is arranged to bias the cross base in a direction such as to position the angled extension of the first mentioned tab in a locked position wherein its angled extension projects laterally of the plane of the associated aperture.

6. The shelf unit support of claim 5 wherein said upright standard has front and rearfaces each of which has a pair of said vertically'spaced apertures for locking connection with a pair of said cross bases projecting in opposite directions.

7. A shelf unit support comprising an upright standard of tubular walled construction and having a pair of vertically spaced apertures, a cross base having a pair of tabs selectively spaced for removable insertion in said apertures, an angled extension on one of said tabs adapted to project laterally of the plane of an associated aper-. ture forestablishing a lock connection between the cross base'and the standard, the other of said tabs being angled relative to said cross base whereby said latter tab is arranged to bias the cross base in a direction such as to position the angled extension of the first mentioned tab in a locked position wherein it's angled extension projectslaterally of the plane of the associated aperture, said tabs havingwvertically disposed slots at least one of which is arranged to receive wall portions of said standard and the lower extremity of said cross base being lower than the lower extremity of said standard whereby the weight of the unit is borne by said cross base to maintain the one slot and standard wall in a locked relation.

, References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,083,791 6/37 Meyer 108-109 2,254,770 9/41 Bitney 108111 2,933,196 4/60 Childs 211-148 X 2,965,243 12/60 Mapson 211183 3,057,483 10/62 Derman 211*148 FOREIGN PATENTS 521,129 1/56 Canada.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

L. ABBOTT, Examiner. 

3. A SHELF UNIT SUPPORT COMPRISING AN UPRIGHT STANDARD HAVING AN UPPER APERTURE AND A LOWER APERTURE, SAID UPPER APERTURE HAVING A TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED NOTCHED LOCKING EXTENSION, A CROSS BASE HAVING UPPER AND LOWER TABS SELECTIVELY SPACED FOR REMOVABLE INSERTION IN SAID APERTURES, SAID LOWER TAB BEING ANGLED RELATIVE TO SAID CROSS BASE WHEREBY SAID LOWER TAB IS ADAPTED TO BIAS THE CROSS BASE IN A DIRECTION SUCH AS TO POSITION SAID UPPER TAB IN SAID TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED EXTENSION, AND LOCK MEANS ON ONE OF SAID TABS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID STANDARD. 